Foreword from the Chief Operating Officer of SAP AG 19
Foreword by Andreas Oczko Deputy Chairman of DSAG Board Area: Operations/Service & Support 21
Introduction 23
1 Concept of SAP Solution Manager 7.1 29
1.1 Effective Implementation of Changes Projects in SAP Solution Manager 30
1.2 Efficient Operation Solutions in SAP Solution Manager 31
1.3 Processes in SAP Solution Manager 32
1.4 From SAP-Centered to Solution-Wide Use 35
1.4.1 Simple Usage for the Overall Customer Solution 35
1.4.2 Openness: Integration of Partner Products 37
1.4.3 Openness: SAP Solution Manager for Non-SAP Software 38
1.5 Improved User-Friendliness 44
1.5.1 Maintaining an Overview with Management Dashboards 44
1.5.2 End-to-End Monitoring and Alerting 47
1.5.3 SAP CRM User Interface Web Client UI and Work Center Increase User-Friendliness 47
1.6 Extension of Usage Rights Brings Cost Advantages 50
2 Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) 55
2.1 Phases and Topic Blocks 55
2.2 Implementation of Changes Using Releases (Major Release) 60
2.2.1 Requirements Phase 61
2.2.2 Design Phase 63
2.2.3 Build Phase 65
2.2.4 Test Phase 66
2.2.5 Deploy Phase 71
2.3 Implementation of Requirements through Maintenance (Minor Release) 72
3 Effective and Efficient Operation 75
3.1 Operations Control Center 76
3.2 Proactive Monitoring and Working with the Alert Inbox 78
3.3 Technical Administration 82
3.4 Business Process Operations for the Example of Monitoring the Day-End Closing 83
3.5 Business Process Operations for the Example of Automatic Business Exception Management 86
3.6 Technical Operations for the Example of Analysis of Complex Technical Problems 87
4 Solution Documentation in SAP Solution Manager 91
4.1 Technical Landscape Documentation 93
4.1.1 Landscape Data, Tools for Administration, and Processes to Use 95
4.1.2 Handling Landscape Data 99
4.1.3 Topology of the Tools for Managing Landscape Data 112
4.2 Solution Documentation Assistant 113
4.2.1 Documentation of the System Landscape 114
4.2.2 Automatically Assigning the Results of the Analysis to a Business Process Structure 114
4.2.3 Updating Analysis Results in a Project or Transferring Results to a Solution 121
4.3 Reverse Business Process Documentation 122
4.4 Initial Setup of a Business Blueprint Structure with the Excel Upload Interface 124
4.5 Documentation of the Solution 125
4.6 SAP Solution Manager at Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH 131
5 Implementing Solutions 137
5.1 Accelerated and Process-Oriented Implementation by Means of SAP Standard Content 138
5.1.1 Structure 138
5.1.2 Contents 140
5.1.3 Product Dependency 142
5.1.4 Outlook 142
5.2 ASAP Implementation Method 143
5.2.1 Scope and Usage 143
5.2.2 Roadmap Phases 144
5.2.3 Structure of the ASAP Method 145
5.2.4 Business Add-Ons for the ASAP Method 146
5.2.5 Working with the Run SAP and ASAP Implementation Roadmaps 146
5.3 Project Administration as the Cornerstone of Project Preparation 149
5.3.1 Project Administration 150
5.3.2 Creating an Implementation Project 150
5.3.3 Defining the Project Scope and the Procedure 151
5.3.4 Managing Project Team Members 152
5.3.5 Defining the System Landscape 153
5.3.6 Defining the Project-Specific Milestones 154
5.3.7 Storing Organizational Units 154
5.3.8 Defining Project Standards 155
5.4 Business Blueprint Conceptual Design for Your Solution 157
5.4.1 Structure of the Business Blueprint 157
5.4.2 Documenting the Conceptual Design 162
5.4.3 Defining Persons Responsible 164
5.4.4 Completing the Business Blueprint 164
5.5 Solution Configuration 166
5.5.1 Prerequisites for Configuration 166
5.5.2 Basic Principles of the Configuration 167
5.5.3 Implementing Customer Developments 170
5.5.4 Working with Service Messages 171
5.6 Test Management 172
5.7 E-Learning Management Efficient Knowledge Transfer During Projects 173
5.7.1 Creating Learning Materials 173
5.7.2 SAP Productivity Pak by ANCILE Adapter for SAP Solution Manager 174
5.7.3 Organizing and Distributing Training Content 175
5.8 Reporting for Your Implementation Project 178
5.8.1 Reporting Roadmap 178
5.8.2 Reporting Business Blueprint 178
5.8.3 Reporting Configuration 181
5.8.4 Reporting Training Materials 184
5.8.5 Reporting Test 185
5.8.6 Reporting System Landscape 185
5.8.7 Reporting History 186
5.9 SAP Solution Manager at the HARTMANN GROUP 186
6 Template Management 193
6.1 Application Areas for Templates 193
6.1.1 The Company-Wide Process Library 194
6.1.2 Global Rollout 194
6.2 Template Management in Detail 196
6.2.1 Template Management in the Context of Application Lifecycle Management 197
6.2.2 Methodical Support from the Global ASAP Template Roadmap 199
6.2.3 Creating Templates 200
6.2.4 Business Blueprint Definition and Configuration Structure 201
6.2.5 Releasing and Implementing Templates 202
6.2.6 Tips and Tricks for Working with Templates 203
6.3 Template Management and Lifecycle 206
6.3.1 Comparing and Adjusting Changes 206
6.3.2 Copying Template Changes (Rollout) 210
6.3.3 Feeding Local Changes Back into the Template (Roll-In) 211
6.4 Template Management at Procter & Gamble 212
7 Test Management 219
7.1 Procedure from Test Planning to Test Execution 220
7.2 Options for Test Tools 222
7.2.1 Test Option 1 222
7.2.2 Test Option 2 223
7.2.3 Test Option 3 223
7.2.4 Supplementary Products 224
7.3 Business Process Change Analyzer 224
7.3.1 Use Case 1: Customizing Changes 224
7.3.2 Use Case 2: Changing Custom Code 226
7.3.3 Use Case 3: Enhancement Package Business Function Analysis 227
7.3.4 Use Case 4: Optimization of the Test Scope for SAP Support Packages or SAP Enhancement Packages 228
7.3.5 Preparations 232
7.3.6 Customer Benefits 237
7.4 Test Option 1 237
7.4.1 Overview of Test Functions and Tools for Test Option 1 238
7.4.2 Test Management Work Center 240
7.4.3 Manual Testing 242
7.4.4 Test Automation 246
7.4.5 Test Reporting 251
7.5 Test Option 2 Testing with the SAP Quality Center by HP 253
7.5.1 Overview of Test Functions and Tools for Test Option 2 254
7.5.2 Transfer to the Business Blueprint 257
7.5.3 Creating Test Plans 258
7.5.4 Generating Test Cases Using SAP Test Acceleration and Optimization 259
7.5.5 Executing Test Cases Using SAP Test Acceleration and Optimization and the SAP Quality Center 260
7.5.6 Exchanging Error Messages Between the SAP Quality Center by HP and SAP Solution Manager 263
7.5.7 Reporting in SAP Solution Manager and the SAP Quality Center by HP 264
7.5.8 Maintenance of Test Cases Using SAP Test Acceleration and Optimization 265
7.6 Test Option 3 Integration Using IBM Rational Tools 267
7.6.1 An Automated, Integrated, and Standardized Approach 267
7.6.2 Creating Business Blueprints and Requirements Management 268
7.6.3 Change Impact Analysis 268
7.6.4 Test Planning 269
7.6.5 Testing 269
7.6.6 Customer Benefits 270
7.7 SAP Solution Manager at Colgate-Palmolive 271
8 Change Control Management 279
8.1 Quality Gate Management 280
8.1.1 Change Management Work Center 281
8.1.2 Central Transport Management with Quality Gate Management 287
8.1.3 SAP Best Practices in the Transport Area 290
8.2 Change Request Management 291
8.2.1 Change Request Management in Detail 293
8.2.2 Architecture 298
8.2.3 Project Cycle and Maintenance Cycle 299
8.2.4 Request for Change 303
8.2.5 Change Types in Change Request Management in Detail 307
8.2.6 Change Management Using Change Request Management 312
8.2.7 Central Change Control 315
8.2.8 Transparency of Change Processes 320
8.2.9 Integration of Change Request Management with Other Application Lifecycle Management Functions 323
8.3 Transport Management 327
8.3.1 SAP Change and Transport System (CTS) 327
8.3.2 Synchronizing Development Systems 338
8.3.3 SAP Transport Execution Analysis Service 340
8.4 Change Diagnosis 342
8.4.1 Tracing Changes 343
8.4.2 Change Reporting 343
8.4.3 End-to-End Change Analysis 344
8.4.4 Configuration Validation 346
8.5 SAP Solution Manager at Ferrero Deutschland MSC GmbH & Co. KG 350
9 Application Incident Management 359
9.1 Incident and Problem Management 359
9.1.1 IT Service Management According to ITIL 360
9.1.2 SAP IT Service Management (SAP ITSM) 362
9.1.3 Integration Concept 363
9.1.4 Application Scenarios 365
9.1.5 The Central Incident and Problem Management Process 374
9.1.6 Master Data 381
9.1.7 Best Practice Functions 384
9.2 Incident Management with Help Desk Systems from Other Providers 389
9.3 Incident Management for IT Service Providers 391
9.4 Incident Management for Software Partners 398
9.5 SAP Solution Manager at Ferrero Deutschland MSC GmbH & Co. KG 402
9.6 SAP Solution Manager at itelligence AG 410
10 Technical Operations 417
10.1 Technical Monitoring 421
10.1.1 Alert Inbox 422
10.1.2 System Monitoring 427
10.1.3 Connection Monitoring 429
10.2 Central Monitoring of SAP NetWeaver Process Integration 431
10.2.1 Starting and Navigation 434
10.2.2 Overview Monitor 434
10.2.3 Component Monitor 437
10.2.4 Channel Monitor 438
10.2.5 Message Monitor 438
10.2.6 Central Content-Based Message Search 443
10.2.7 Connecting to the Alert Infrastructure 445
10.2.8 Connection to the Service Desk 446
10.3 End User Experience Monitoring 446
10.4 End-to-End Root Cause Analysis 453
10.4.1 Procedure for Root Cause Analysis 454
10.4.2 Architecture 456
10.4.3 Tools in the Root Cause Analysis Work Center 458
10.4.4 Root Cause Analysis in Detail 460
10.4.5 Quality Assurance with the Root Cause Analysis Tools 469
10.5 Technical Administration 471
10.5.1 Work Mode Management 472
10.5.2 IT Calendar 480
10.5.3 Managing Notifications 481
10.5.4 Central System Administration (CSA) 482
10.6 Technical Analysis 492
10.6.1 Technical Evaluations 492
10.6.2 Management Evaluations 506
10.7 Data Volume Management (DVM) 509
10.7.1 Position Determination 510
10.7.2 Analyzing the Data Distribution 511
10.7.3 Prioritizing Objects 516
10.7.4 Prioritizing by Memory Consumption 517
10.7.5 Prioritizing by Age Structure of the Data 518
10.7.6 Prioritizing by Frequency of Use 519
10.7.7 Evaluating the Data 521
10.7.8 Discussions with the Departments 524
10.7.9 Project Reporting 526
11 Business Process Operations 529
11.1 Business Processes and Interface Monitoring 530
11.1.1 Tools that Support the Operation of Business Processes 530
11.1.2 Business Process Monitoring in SAP Solution Manager 532
11.1.3 Handling Business Process Monitoring in SAP Solution Manager 534
11.1.4 Using Business Process Analytics to Improve Business Processes 537
11.2 Job Scheduling Management 539
11.2.1 The Challenges of Job Scheduling Management 541
11.2.2 Case Study: A Job Scheduling Management Process as Conceived in the SAP Standard System 543
11.2.3 Automatically Redirecting a User from the Backend System to the SAP Solution Manager Application Form 550
11.2.4 Job Scheduling Management Health Check 551
11.3 Data Consistency Management 553
11.3.1 Introducing Data Consistency Management 553
11.3.2 Overview of the Tools for Data Consistency Management 555
11.4 Business Process Performance 561
11.4.1 Business Process Performance Optimization 561
11.4.2 Performance Optimization with SAP Self-Services 566
11.5 SAP Solution Manager at Bayer MaterialScience 570
12 Maintaining an SAP Solution Landscape 575
12.1 The Maintenance Optimizer 576
12.1.1 The Maintenance Optimizer in Detail 578
12.1.2 Maintenance Optimizer for SAP ERP 583
12.1.3 Supporting Complex Landscapes 585
12.1.4 Country Legal Changes Packages for SAP ERP HCM Integrating Solutions and HR Support Packages in the Maintenance Transaction 586
12.1.5 Authorizations and Reports in the Maintenance Optimizer 586
12.1.6 Maintenance Certificate and License Management 587
12.2 System Recommendations 589
12.2.1 Receiving Recommendations for your Systems 590
12.2.2 Integration with Other Tools in SAP Solution Manager 591
12.2.3 Setting Up the System Recommendations Function 591
12.2.4 Summary 592
13 Support for Upgrade Projects 593
13.1 Upgrade Dependency Analyzer 594
13.1.1 Possible Dependency Statements 596
13.1.2 Distinctions Among the UDA, the Maintenance Optimizer, and the Scenario and Component Lists (PCL/SCL) 599
13.1.3 Data Quality and Legal Disclaimer 600
13.1.4 Examples of Using the UDA 600
13.2 Project Planning and Project Management Using the Upgrade Roadmap 607
13.3 Custom Development Management Cockpit 609
13.4 Maintenance Optimizer 609
13.5 Test Management 610
13.6 User Training 610
13.7 SAP Upgrade Assessment 611
13.8 SAP GoingLive Functional Upgrade Check 611
13.9 Near Zero Downtime Method 612
14 SAP Landscape Transformation 613
14.1 The Greenfield Approach 616
14.2 SAP s Approach to SAP Transformations 617
14.3 Phases of Executing a Transformation Project 618
14.3.1 Identification of the Transformation Approach 619
14.3.2 Analysis of the System Landscape and Planning of the Project 619
14.3.3 Evaluating and Preparing a Transformation Project 619
14.3.4 Realizing a Transformation Project 619
14.3.5 Typical Approach for Executing a Client Transfer 620
14.4 Transformation Scenarios 621
14.4.1 Transformation Solutions for Sales, Purchasing, and Restructuring Initiatives 621
14.4.2 Standardization and Transformation of Data 626
14.4.3 Consolidation of Systems and Reduction of IT Costs 631
14.5 Using SAP Landscape Transformation 633
14.5.1 Working with SAP Landscape Transformation 634
14.5.2 Structure of the Work Center of SAP LT Software 635
14.5.3 Creating Projects 638
14.5.4 Combining Transformation Solutions 639
14.5.5 Executing Projects 640
14.5.6 Executing Analyses 641
14.5.7 Executing Transformation Applications 642
14.5.8 Important Notes and Recommendations Regarding the Technical Execution 643
14.5.9 Troubleshooting and Support 643
14.6 Additional Services for SAP Landscape Transformation 644
14.7 SAP Solution Manager at SKW Stahl-Metallurgie Holding AG 648
15 Custom Code Management: Efficient Management of Custom Code 653
15.1 Introduction to Custom Code Management 653
15.1.1 The City Model 654
15.1.2 The Custom Code Management Process 656
15.2 Custom Code Lifecycle Management Managing Custom Code 658
15.2.1 Process and Architecture 659
15.2.2 The CCLM Application in Detail 662
15.2.3 Settings 664
15.2.4 Library Definition 666
15.2.5 Objects in the Library 667
15.2.6 Reporting 668
15.3 Custom Code Development Management Cockpit 670
15.4 Analyses for Custom Code 679
15.4.1 Distinguishing SAP Original Objects from Clones 680
15.4.2 Identifying the Usage Area of Clones 682
15.4.3 Monitoring and Evaluating Modifications 683
15.4.4 Distinguishing Versions of Your Program 684
15.4.5 Time for Improvement 686
15.5 Custom Code Lifecycle Management at Procter & Gamble 686
Appendices 691
A The Authors 691
B The Authors of Customer Experiences 711
Index 717

About the Author

Marc Oliver Schafer studied English and German Literatures and Languages at the University of Tubingen and worked with DaimlerChrysler as a language and intercultural trainer for two years. He joined SAP in 2000 as a product manager for the Customizing Tools development team. In 2005, Marc became part of the Service Solution Management organization as a senior product manager where his responsibilities lie with compliance, Change Request Management and Service Desk topics in SAP Solution Manager.

Dr Matthias Melich studied English Literature at the University of Rochester (New York), and Mathematics and English Philology at the University of Cologne. He also received his Ph.D. in Computer-Based Language Learning at the University of Cologne in 1993. He joined SAP in 1995 as a member of the Common Objects and Modeling team, and a year later joined the Archiving Solutions team. In 1998, Matthias became responsible for Product Management of Customizing Tools. In January 2005, he became part of the Service Solution Management organization where he is Director of the Global SAP Solution Manager Product Management team.

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About the Author